ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Morgan Stanley Analyst Says

ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) had its price objective raised by equities researchers at Morgan Stanley from $185.00 to $187.00 in a report issued on Monday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the oil and gas company’s stock. Morgan Stanley‘s price target points to a potential upside of 2.78% from the company’s previous close.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $175.00 price target (up from $150.00) on shares of ExxonMobil in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Bank of America downgraded ExxonMobil from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $154.00 to $158.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on ExxonMobil from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Zacks Research raised shares of ExxonMobil from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 19th. Finally, UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $199.00 target price on shares of ExxonMobil in a research report on Monday, October 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and fourteen have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $168.09.

ExxonMobil Stock Down 2.8%

NYSE XOM traded down $5.31 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $181.94. 5,648,833 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 17,661,568. The stock has a market capitalization of $754.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.71, a P/E/G ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 0.21. ExxonMobil has a twelve month low of $112.51 and a twelve month high of $188.50. The business’s 50-day moving average is $167.76 and its 200-day moving average is $154.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 1.19.

ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.12 by $0.11. ExxonMobil had a net margin of 10.24% and a return on equity of 16.63%. The firm had revenue of $110.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $104.89 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.88 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that ExxonMobil will post 13.58 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ExxonMobil

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. NBT Bank N.A. bought a new position in shares of ExxonMobil during the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Aventus Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of ExxonMobil in the second quarter worth about $27,000. Atlantic Private Wealth LLC grew its stake in ExxonMobil by 776.9% in the first quarter. Atlantic Private Wealth LLC now owns 228 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 202 shares in the last quarter. Pioneer Family Office LLC bought a new stake in ExxonMobil during the 3rd quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, Financial Connections Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of ExxonMobil in the 1st quarter worth $53,000. 61.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting ExxonMobil

Here are the key news stories impacting ExxonMobil this week:

• Positive Sentiment: ExxonMobil’s third-quarter performance exceeded expectations, with $15.4 billion in GAAP earnings, $110.5 billion in revenue, and earnings per share above consensus. Earnings more than doubled from the prior-year quarter. ExxonMobil Q3 earnings article
• Positive Sentiment: Refining margin gains were the primary earnings catalyst, while management highlighted LNG expansion and additional growth opportunities amid energy-market disruptions. XOM Q3 earnings call highlights
• Positive Sentiment: The board raised the quarterly dividend from $1.03 to $1.07 per share, a 3.9% increase and ExxonMobil’s 44th consecutive annual increase. The company also generated significantly higher free cash flow, repurchased $5.1 billion of stock last quarter, and reduced net debt by nearly $11 billion during the first nine months. Exxon dividend and free cash flow article
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $189 while maintaining an Equal Weight rating, indicating limited but continued potential upside from recent levels. Wells Fargo XOM rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain divided after XOM’s substantial year-to-date rally and record high. Momentum screens continue to favor the stock, but investors are questioning how much good news is already reflected in the valuation. Exxon valuation and rally article
• Negative Sentiment: Adjusted upstream earnings fell approximately 20% sequentially, making the latest beat more dependent on refining rather than production growth. A dip in crude prices is adding to the near-term selling pressure. ExxonMobil upstream earnings article

About ExxonMobil

Exxon Mobil Corporation, doing business as ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM), is an integrated energy company engaged in the exploration, development, production, and sale of crude oil and natural gas. Its operations span the energy value chain, from resource development and refining to the marketing and distribution of fuels and other energy products.

Through its Energy Products segment, ExxonMobil manufactures and markets transportation fuels, lubricants, and other petroleum-based products. Its Chemical Products business produces petrochemicals, including commodity and performance products used in packaging, automotive components, construction materials, and consumer goods.